


A Ferelden Summer

by caradoxing (saunteredvaguelydownward)



Series: Dassana Mahariel (Alternate Universes) [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-04-18 06:37:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4695881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saunteredvaguelydownward/pseuds/caradoxing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dassana Mahariel finds more than she bargained for while working at her new job helping out with a summer camp.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While this is an AU, I'm going to be keeping certain aspects of the world as part of the story (such as the Dalish and the mages).

The summer was warm. Well, warm for Ferelden that is. Dassana Mahariel shifted under her thin blanket, uncomfortable with the change from the heavy one she usually found herself covered in. With a groan, she sat up, knowing that there would be no time to sleep in from now on. No, her summer job was to start today and she had to be ready, whether she liked it or not.

A head popped through her door.

“Oh, you’re up!” She was sure she’d never understand how Merrill found the enthusiasm at an hour like this. “I meant to come wake you before but then I decided that since it’s your first day maybe I should let you sleep but then I didn’t want you to be late but you don’t want to be tired… I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”

Dassana gave a breathy laugh. “You’re fine, lethallan.”

“Are you excited?” Merrill beamed at her.

“I’m still convinced you would be much better at it.” Merrill had always had a way with the kids around the building that Dassana could never hope to have. All the same, Marethari had offered _her_ the job when it had come up, as she wouldn’t dare give up her First, even for the summer. As a second, she could afford the freedom her friend couldn’t.

“Oh, you’ll be fine! Call me when you’re ready to leave.” Before Dassana could debate the point, Merrill had disappeared off to where she had come from, no doubt off to do some errand or another for Marethari. She had tried to convince Merrill that she was able to drive out to the camp by herself, but she had insisted, knowing it would be a while before they saw each other again. Dassana knew it would be a good thing to give Merrill a break from her books anyway.

She pushed off her covers and said a silent goodbye to her bed, already regretting having to leave it behind. She took a quick glance in her mirror before rifling through her drawers. I haven’t even started and I already look a mess, Dassana thought to herself, great. Settling on a plain t-shirt and pants, she dressed quickly and headed out to the kitchen.

Marethari, to no surprise, was up as well, her nose deep in an old book as it always seemed to be. How it seemed most of her clan managed to be morning people when she was vehemently not one baffled her.

“Morning, da’len. Are you ready to go?” She hadn’t even been sure Marethari had noticed her there. “It’ll be a long few months. Make sure you do not forget anything.”

As much as she hated packing, years of moving from city to city had taught her that it wasn’t a thing that she could leave to the last moment. If she did, she was bound to forget something, like the time she forgot her mother’s old necklace at a house they’d just moved out of. The thing had been a family heirloom, so she was told, passed down from mother to daughter for generations. She had held back frustrated tears when they had gone all the way back for it. Dassana wanted to be many things in her life, but to be the one who lost what little family history she had left was not one of them. Of course, she would be returning home at the end of her time as camp counselor, but all the same, she did not want to end up with only one pair of underwear for the next two and a half months.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, Keeper. And don’t worry; I’ve been packed for almost a week. I’m sure I have everything. Mostly sure… I’ll check again,” she said pulling out a piece of bread and popping it into the toaster.

Leaning against the counter, she glanced over at Marethari. The woman often gave an appearance of being older than she was, especially when left to her books. Dassana knew it was a harder job than most would guess, carrying the weight of their history and culture so that they might not lose what little they had left. Sometimes she felt guilty, as though it was her fault they could only cling to the scraps, even though she knew that the blame did not lay on them. Still, the responsibility in reclaiming their past was their duty.

The toaster popped gently behind her and Dassana went about her breakfast. It seemed before she could even breathe, her things were packed away in the car and she was saying her goodbyes to the rest of the clan. As they drove off, Dassana absentmindedly ran her fingers over her mother’s necklace, her thoughts still with those behind her.

* * *

The trees became more dense around them as the two drove down the dirt road. The quiet hum of the engine had threatened to lull her to sleep when their conversation slowed. Dassana found herself curled in the front seat, listening to Merrill talk about some old artifact she and the Keeper had found a week before.

She had always loved the Brecilian Forest best out of their clan camping sites, even with all that had happened here. Merrill’s voice had grown quiet and Dassana was sure she was thinking about it too.

“Do you think he might still be out there? Tamlen was strong and smart, he could have made it,” Merrill said, her voice still small. She had teased Merrill when he’d still been there, joked that she was in love with Tamlen as Merrill had joked about her. But now there was no joking; they had both cared deeply about him, loved him, and his loss had never stopped feeling like a loss.

She felt a shiver go through her. It had been her fault, of course. She should have tried harder, should have done something other than run back to the Keeper while he ran off into that cave. Her instincts that something was wrong with this place the shemlen had told them about had been right, though she would give anything now for them to have been wrong. It had been the last she’d seen of him, there at the mouth of the unknown.

That was the worst thing. There was no comfort to be found, no answers, not even when they had searched the cave high and low. Not even a drop of blood to hint at some darker fate. Nothing but a dusty broken mirror and Tamlen’s bag.

They hadn’t been back since then, hadn’t camped even though they were close and the summer had come again. A year had been too little for most, she assumed, even Marethari who had always been the clan’s strength, their stability. Maybe that’s what had prompted Dassana to come, beyond merely knowing that the Keeper had wanted someone to help. Maybe they both knew that she couldn’t bear to leave it like this, to let this place she had loved so much be poisoned with her grief. And maybe Marethari had some small hope, as she did, as they all did, that he would reappear.

She wanted to be the one there if he did, even if the chance was practically non-existent. She owed him that much.

“I hope so,” she said.

Ahead of them, a group of wooden cabins emerged from the trees. They parked near the entrance, the world now quiet but for faint noises of animals hidden in the woods.

Merrill gave a curious glance to the empty cabins. “Are you sure we’re in the right place? There doesn’t seem to be anyone here. I don’t want to leave you here. Might get eaten by wolves,” she gave a small awkward laugh, the kind she always gave when trying to lighten the mood.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine, lethallan. Besides, I don’t think I’d taste very good, even to the wolves.” She climbed out of the truck, breathing in the fresh air. Funny how little the place had changed, even when it felt like so much had. Merrill, too, climbed out and came around to give her a hug. To say the least, she would miss Merrill dearly, even if they would be together again before long.

Before they could say anything, their moment was broken by a large blonde man emerging from one of the doors, looking overworked and slightly confused.

“Oh, hello!” Any remaining trace of the somber mood had seemed to disappear from Merrill as she headed towards him. Dassana followed behind, wondering how her friend always seemed to manage it. “Are you the man that runs this camp? I’m… I’m not here to help, I just came to say goodbye to her.”

Merrill pulled her back into a hug. “Dareth shiral. And do try not to die, Keeper Marethari will have your head if you do. And then have me running around to clean the mess.” Dassana gave her a squeeze before letting her head back to the truck.

“You must be Duncan's new recruit then,” the blonde man said as she returned her attention to him. “Alistair,” he gave a small smile.

“New recruit? I must’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere,” she laughed. She had no love for shemlen, that was certain, but she was sure it would be a long couple months if she didn't at least make an effort. “I don’t remember signing up for the army.”

He looked off into the distance at the once again empty clearing. “I’m sure you’ll wish you had by the time you’re done here.”

From the look on his face, she wasn’t sure if he was serious or not.

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach; she knew that this wasn’t going to be easy, but it was only now she began to wonder exactly what she had gotten herself into.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'm not abandoning this, life is just hectic.

Dassana gave a small, unsure knock on the cabin door in front of her. It was humble in comparison to the others and tucked away at the back of the camp, along the tree line of the clearing. A part of her hoped there would be no answer, but she knew that she could only be certain she was in the right place if someone who knew the campground better than her would confirm it. Alistair had been little help, merely pointing her in a vague direction before heading off to attend to another errand.

There was a pause, but she could hear the faint sound of shuffling come from inside. Unintentionally, she found herself holding her breath. She didn’t know what kind of person she could expect. Alistair had been nice enough, but she couldn’t be sure that everyone would take as well to the possibility of working with a Dalish elf.

The door opened to reveal a woman with a shock of red hair and bright eyes. Even not smiling, there was something soft about her expression. For a second, Dassana was sure she could see a flicker of something else behind the softness, but before she could be sure it was gone.

"Oh!” the woman said, as though Dassana had snuck up on her.

There was a beat and the woman’s eyes lingered on Dassana’s ears for half a second and her vallaslin for another. _Ah, there it is_ , she couldn’t help but think to herself. No doubt, she would have to prepare herself to be seen as an oddity. While things had changed much since the past, even the clans that now spent time in the city kept to themselves more often than not and those that always made their home in the cities did so in parts this woman had likely never stepped foot in.

“Hello,” the woman caught herself. Now Dassana could hear a thick Orlesian accent. “You must be Dassana. Alistair said you’d be around. I didn’t realize… you’re…”

“Dalish. Yes, I’m aware.” It had come out more harshly than she had intended and she could see the red rise in the woman’s cheeks.

“I didn’t mean… I’m Leliana,” she said, with a tone of voice that told Dassana she was intent on starting over. Dassana sighed softly, reminding herself that her time here would be easier if she at least made an attempt to befriend those around her. Still, her hesitation lingered

“Dassana, though you already knew that. Seems I’m in the right place, yes?”

Leliana gave a small, enthusiastic nod before stepping out of her way. The inside of the cabin gave the appearance of being larger on the inside than it had seemed from the outside. At the back sat two desks, covered with papers and several objects that peaked her curiosity. She made a mental note to subtly examine them later. There were two beds aligned along each of the walls to the left and right of her. Three were clearly taken, leaving her with no doubt as to which must have been saved for it.

Dassana made for her new bed, the one with stark white sheets and a thin blanket neatly folded on the end of it, and set her bag on it. Leliana made her way across the room to the other along the same wall, the same Dassana would have figured was hers. Of the three, Leliana’s stuck out most, with its bright bedding. At the foot of the bed, she could see a cute pair of shoes that looked as though they cost more than all of her own possessions combined.

Dassana could not help but wonder about the other two. Both were much less loud than Leliana’s and sported simple covers, but seemed to belong to very different people. One, upon further inspection, had a modest quilt pulled across it that had obviously been made by hand neatly. Whether the owner had made it themselves or it was a gift, Dassana had no clue. Likewise, all their things seemed to be placed in their own orderly fashion underneath the bed.

The other, however, had only a dark cover tossed onto it. Whoever had slept there before had either gone off in a hurry or hadn’t made any effort otherwise to make their space tidy. She couldn’t see much of what lay underneath, but a small glint of silver caught her eye. Once again, her curiosity bubbled in her chest, but she fought the urge to pry. At least for the moment.

At home, it had been different. Most of the clan kept what they needed and little more; the less to move, the better. But even then, most would gladly tell stories about the unique things they kept. But the shemlen were different, she knew, more private, like they wished to keep their knowledge to themselves. She understood the want for privacy but with the things that sat in this room, it seemed a whole different meaning. These items held secrets and secrets had always called to her.

She was suddenly aware that Leliana was giving her an expectant look. She wasn’t sure what she wanted her to say.

“It’s not much, but it’s nice,” Leliana said, filling the silence. “It’s quieter here than closer to camp.”

“Oh…” Dassana nodded before lapsing into silence again. "Well, I suppose that's good."

She looked down at her own bag, which only held a few essential items and a small locket with Merrill and Tamlen’s picture inside. Suddenly, she felt exposed and lacking in this room with so many shemlen things when she had so little. “So, have you done this before?” she said, trying to regain her composure under the stranger’s eyes.

“No, but I’ve been here for days, so I guess I have a head start on you.” Dassana caught the strange look that crossed Leliana’s face. If it had made any sense, she would have figured it was sadness in the way sadness looked when they were trying very hard to not make anyone aware of it. All at once, she wondered what would have brought an Orlesian to Ferelden for an entire summer, but she bit her tongue.

Leliana seemed to press on, trying to engage her in conversation at every chance though Dassana could find little common ground between them to keep it going. Eventually, Leliana seemed to resign herself to a simple comment here and there as she paged her way through a book. Dassana had heard the name before, only enough to know the author was popular in the Free Marches, but had never been interested enough to read it. By the remarks Leliana made about it, that was not likely to change.

As the night wore on, Dassana couldn’t help but wonder if the other two beds which stayed empty despite their clear ownership had something to do with Leliana’s talkativeness.

* * *

She met the others slowly. Where she had thought on first arrival that the place had been empty, on the second day, she began to see the little marks of life that littered the camp. The occasional sound of faint, accented laughter came and went though Dassana could never seem to place where it originated.  When night finally rolled around, a faint light could be seen coming from the medical cabin.

It was not until the next day that she had the fortune of actually meeting anyone else. It seemed everyone had kept to themselves, taking advantage of their last moments of quiet before the campers arrived. The two beds in her cabin not taken by herself and Leliana had stayed empty.

She awoke that morning to the sound of chattering outside her window. The sun was already climbing high in the sky and from where she stood next to her bed, she could see the first campers arriving.

By the time she had gotten herself together, even more children had arrived. She had to admit that she was a little surprised at the variation of kids that seemed to come. Some part of her expected it to be mostly humans, but she watched as at least one qunari and a group of dwarves made their way to greet the still very tired looking Alistair. Even, she noted, there were several pointed ears among the crowd that gathered. She felt a small sense of pride wash over her.

One of the elves stood out to her among the rest. A small girl that couldn’t have been more than ten lingered on the fringe of the camp, clearly uncomfortable with mingling among the small groups that had formed. Slouched and shy, Dassana could see the girl was doing her best not to be noticed but knew better than to approach her now. She was sure that doing so would only bring others attention to her that she feared.

Besides, Dassana hardly relished the idea of bringing any more attention to herself. She was not, by nature, self-conscious or reserved but there was something about being the only Dalish among a group of mostly shemlen that made her wary. Especially now, the expectation that she represent her whole people in some way began to weigh on her. 

She made a mental note to seek the girl out later all the same.

A sudden rise in voices came from a group off to her right, tearing her from her thoughts. She rushed over, along with several others including Leliana, to see that a young boy had tripped and hit his head. It hadn’t even been a day and already it seemed things were going wrong.

Pushing through the crowd, she kneeled beside the young boy. Other than the trickle of blood on his forehead and a displeased expression, he seemed fine. Still, she figured it would be better safe than sorry. She glanced up to Leliana who had taken to standing beside her.

“We should get him a healer. Do we even have one of those?”

Leliana gave her a quick nod before heading off through the crowd. The other children all seemed to head away to something more interesting now that the moment had passed. After a few minutes, Leliana arrived once more with an older women; human but with a kind look about her that reminded her of Keeper Marethari. _And a mage as well_ , she noted by the staff the woman carried with her.

“Now what do we have here?” The woman noted as she switched places with Dassana to get a clearer look at the wound. “Would you like me to fix it,” she said, giving a nod up at her staff. The boy took a moment to understand but then gave her a look of distaste before shaking his head no.

“Alright,” the woman said, simply putting a patch over it so that the spot could heal.

It was unsurprising, Dassana knew. For as far as the world had come, even in regards to mages, there would always be those that would always shy away, turn in disgust. Sure, they had once had Templars that had actively hunted people like her, murdered those who dared be born different, but it had not been long enough since for the world to have changed so completely.

Old prejudices, as she had known in several ways, died hard. Some would always cling to their ideas, no matter how awful. And they would always, it seemed, pass it onto the next generation.

When the boy was gone, Dassana quickly found herself in conversation with the woman. Wynne, her name was, apparently a retired professor from the Circle who had long been the healer for the camp on her summers off. It seemed strange that her most likely friend so far would be a woman much older than her, but for a moment, later as they sat and talked about spirits and spells in the medical cabin, Dassana felt comfortable here.

The moment passed soon after when the two returned to their cabin, Dassana taking her place on her bed and Wynne on the one with the patch quilt, but it meant it was possible.

But then, as the sun set, her homesickness returned once more. When she finally slept, it was restless and interrupted.


End file.
